Improving Access to Childcare

The need for child care services in our community cannot be overstated -- especially during this global health crisis. Childcare services are not just a critical asset in our communities, they are the backbone of our economy. But because of COVID-19, our child care networks have been upended as facilities face shuttering their doors, and parents face losing access to affordable services.

That is why it is absolutely imperative that we take action to ensure these facilities have the resources and support they need to stay afloat during these challenging times and to prioritize the long-term support of this essential sector as we move forward.

I have:

• Fought to make sure the CARES Act included desperately needed dollars so the childcare industry can not only remain operational but so providers can keep children healthy and safe in the face of COVID-19

• Sent a letter to Secretary Mnuchin urging him to enable providers of childcare services and early childhood education to access critical resources and relief through the recently enacted CARES Act. This letter can be found here.

• Cosponsored the Improving Childcare for Working Families Act and the Child Care is Essential Act.

• Sent a letter to Dr. Robert Redfield, Director of the CDC, to address our nation's childcare issues that have existed long before the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter can be viewed below.

 

The childcare industry as we know it faces collapse and without assistance, providers will be forced to close for good, leaving families with nowhere to turn and leading to a significantly slower recovery for the U.S. economy.